Positive ageing needs local support
21 January 2004
Media Statement
Positive ageing needs local support
Senior Citizens Minister Ruth Dyson
today called on all local authorities to follow the example
of New Plymouth, South Taranaki and Taupo District Councils
and Christchurch City Council and sign up to the New Zealand
Positive Ageing Strategy.
Releasing the strategy’s 2003/2004 annual report and 2004/05 action plan, Ruth Dyson said local body issues such as housing, transport and access to services have a huge impact on the ability of older people to participate in society.
“I want to congratulate the New Plymouth, South Taranaki and Taupo District Councils who have formally endorsed the strategy’s goals by developing positive ageing plans for their communities. I am also delighted to see that Christchurch City Council is included in the 2004/2005 national action plan for the first time.
“I hope that over the coming year, other local councils will work in partnership with the Office for Senior Citizens and older people in their communities to promote positive ageing and make New Zealand a better place for everyone.”
Ruth Dyson said government agencies were making good progress in implementing the 10 goals of the positive ageing strategy, with 152 actions completed in 2003/2004 and a similar number identified for the following year.
Highlights for 2003/2004 included:
legislation to progressively remove asset testing for older
people in residential care;
legislation to
improve protection for people buying into and living in
retirement villages, including a Residents’ Code of Rights
and Industry Code of Practice;
development of
guidelines for multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, integrated
assessment processes for older people and their carers;
research funding of $4m over five years to
Waikato University and the Family Centre Social Policy
Research Unit to study well-being and ageing.
Copies of the New Zealand Positive Ageing Annual Report, 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004, and New Zealand Positive Ageing Action Plan, 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 are available from the Office for Senior Citizens, PO Box 12 136, Bowen St, Wellington. Phone (04) 916 3758. Fax (04) 916 3778. Or on the website: www.osc.govt.nz
Contact details for local councils that have signed up to the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy are attached.
Key achievements in central, regional and local government to improve opportunities for older people in 2003/2004 included:
Positive Ageing Goal Achievements in 2003/2004
1.
Secure and adequate income for older people
Ministry of Social Development - legislation to
progressively remove asset testing from residential care
introduced to Parliament.
Retirement Commission
- launched a 60 plus section of the ‘Sorted’ website to
provide information to older people on how to manage their
assets over the course of their retirement.
Work
and Income regions, Ministry of Social Development -
community information services on entitlements provided to
older people.
2. Equitable, timely, affordable and
accessible health services for older people
Accident Compensation Corporation - 41 Tai Chi programmes
developed in 15 areas nationwide.
Ministry of
Health - guidelines for multidisciplinary, comprehensive and
integrated assessment processes for older people and their
carers developed and released publicly October
2003.
Ministry of Health - ‘Life after Stroke’
Guidelines published and available on the Stroke Foundation
website.
Ministry of Health - development of the
Residential Care Dementia Standard commenced.
New Zealand Artificial Limb Board - Best Practice Guidelines
Physiotherapy implemented for hospital management of
amputees in Christchurch.
3. Affordable and
appropriate housing options for older people
Housing New Zealand Corporation – funding provided from the
Housing Innovation Fund to three community groups
specifically for new housing for older people. The funding
will provide a total of 20 units for older
people.
Housing New Zealand Corporation - 131
former Auckland City Council pensioner units were
reconfigured, modernised or redeveloped for older
tenants.
New Plymouth District Council and
Accident Compensation Corporation - audit report completed
on falls hazard in older people’s housing November
2003.
Office for Senior Citizens, Ministry of
Social Development - Retirement Villages Act 2003 passed
into legislation on 30 October 2003.
4. Affordable and accessible transport options for older people
Land Transport Safety Authority - New
Zealand Driver Licensing’s driver testing officers and agent
managers attended a training course which focused on the
needs of older drivers.
New Zealand Institute
for Research on Ageing (NZiRA) - completed the Coping
without a Car report on how older people cope without access
to private transport.
Transfund, Ministry of
Transport - extended the scope of the Passenger Transport
Social Services Review to incorporate the access and
mobility objective of the New Zealand Transport
Strategy.
5. A range of culturally appropriate services
allows choices for older people Office for Ethnic
Affairs, Department of Internal Affairs - ten government
agencies committed to developing Ethnic Responsiveness
plans.
Work and Income, Ministry of Social
Development - proactive use of the multilingual contact
centre improved communication between Work and Income staff
and older Pacific people.
Work and Income,
Ministry of Social Development - staff provided services to
older Māori on marae.
6. Older people living in rural communities are not disadvantaged when accessing services
Department of Internal Affairs -
approximately $3 million distributed to 437 community groups
in the not-for-profit sector by Lottery Seniors
funding.
Department of Labour - Connecting
Communities national conference identified priorities for
community Information Communication Technology (ICT) work
for the next five years.
Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry – two Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) Access pilots in Tokoroa and Southland
supported to provide training and information to rural
residents including rural older people.
7. People of
all ages have positive attitudes to ageing and older
people Ministry of Culture and Heritage - A Fair
Sort of Battle - veterans’ oral history of the Italian
campaign published April 2004
Department of
Labour - Diversity Index 2003 published and available on the
EEO Trust website.
Work and Income Auckland
Region and Office for Senior Citizens, Ministry of Social
Development - training package developed for Work and Income
staff working with older people.
Ministry of
Culture and Heritage - New Zealand and the Second World War
– the People, the Battles and the Legacy published April
2004.
8. Elimination of ageism and promotion of flexible
work options Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
- seventy-seven retirement planning seminars held from
Whangarei to Invercargill.
Department of Labour
- Achieving Balanced Lives and Employment a summary report
published on Work/Life balance.
Ministry of
Social Development - Mature Focused Case Management practice
introduced December 2003 to ensure all Work and Income
unemployed clients aged 45 to 59 years receive intensive
case management and support to attain sustainable
employment.
9. Increasing opportunities for personal
growth and community participation Ministry of
Education - in 2003, 4633 students aged 65 years and over
participated in formal tertiary education making up 1% of
the total student population, up from 542 or 0.2% in
1998.
Ministry of Education – 18,000 older
people over 60 years participated in Adult and Community
Education (ACE) in 2003.
Ministry of Culture
and Heritage - funding provided to 160 veterans to attend
the 60th anniversary of the battle of Monte Cassino and 30
veterans supported to attend the 50th anniversary of the
signing of the armistice for the Korean War.
10.
Increasing opportunities for personal growth and community
participation Ministry of Education - in 2003, 4633
students aged 65 years and over participated in formal
tertiary education making up 1% of the total student
population, up from 542 or 0.2% in 1998.
Ministry of Education – 18,000 older people over 60 years
participated in Adult and Community Education (ACE) in 2003.
Ministry of Culture and Heritage - funding
provided to 160 veterans to attend the 60th anniversary of
the battle of Monte Cassino and 30 veterans supported to
attend the 50th anniversary of the signing of the armistice
for the Korean War.